Legends of Lightstorm Saga 1 Episode 1: The Celestial Renegade
by Mutrox
Summary: Deep in the woods, there lives a man with powerful connections to the Moon Kingdom. Few know his name, and fewer dare to speak it aloud. Who is this mysterious figure, and how is he connected to a forgotten age of the Moon Kingdom's history?
1. Necessary Measures

Serena pressed the last bandage into place, wincing as lances of pain shot through the charred flesh.

"You wouldn't have to do that if you'd just used your head for once," Luna scolded from atop the bathroom sink.

"Sorr-y, I panicked," Serena replied, putting away the bandages.

"No one ever one a fight by panicking," Luna reminded her. "If Tuxedo Mask hadn't shown up at the last minute-" Immediately Luna regretted mentioning that name. Serena was instantly lost in a daydream, the specifics of which Luna didn't need to guess.

Luna turned away and sighed wearily. In the short time she had known Serena, the newly-activated Sailor Moon had managed to almost get herself killed more times than she cared to think about. If not for the mysterious figure Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon would have died on her very first mission. As useful as he was, Tuxedo Mask was an unpredictable factor, and he caused a question to form on the edge of Luna's mind that she didn't dare think about too much: what if Sailor Moon needed Tuxedo Mask and he didn't appear?

Looking back at the still-daydreaming Serena, Luna studied her latest battle wounds. The burns caused by the latest attack from the Negaverse looked more than painful, and the accumulated injuries were getting hard to hide from Serena's family. Perhaps if Serena had done some actual training…

No, Luna decided. They had been down that road before. Every time she had brought it up, Serena had simply shown little to no interest in becoming a better Sailor Scout. Every time she had been shut down, Luna had felt a stab of fear, knowing that it could very well mean the next battle would be Sailor Moon's last. There was simply no way to convince her to become stronger, but there was… _him_.

Luna found her thoughts drifting to a place she hadn't ventured in many years. She knew it was a longshot, and there was every chance he wouldn't agree to it, but if she didn't try and Serena died because of it…

"Serena!"

"What!?" Serena snapped out of it, spilling the bottle of antiseptic she'd been using.

"There's… someone I'd like you to meet," Luna said, wondering already if this was a good idea.

"Ooh! Is he handsome?"

"I suppose some people thought so."

"Well, what's his name?"

"As far as I know, his current name is Jason Shepard." The look on Serena's face said it all. Luna instantly regretted mentioning him, but it was too late.

"When can I meet him?"

"That's the problem. He lives very far away from here, and his house is very hard to get to." Seeing Serena's interest fading , Luna quickly added. "Many years ago, he used to work for the Moon Kingdom. I think he might be able to help."

Serena considered this. "You said he's handsome, right?"

"… Yes."

"When do we leave?"


	2. The Old Man in the Woods

Serena and Luna hiked through the woods, their muscles aching. Serena stopped under a tree and pulled a handful of candy bars out of her backpack. Luna ignored the chewing sounds as she drank some rainwater collected in a fallen leaf. As she drank, she hoped, not for the first time, that this entire mission wasn't a colossal waste of time.

It had been fortunate that Serena had a long weekend from school that week. Serena had managed to convince her family that she would be having a weekend-long sleepover at a friend's house, and had set off with Luna before anyone could ask too many questions. After that, it had been a simple matter to use the Disguise Pen to transform herself into a hiker and hire a taxi. The taxi had dropped them off far away from the city, and Serena and Luna then set off into the woods.

Hour after hour, they trudged through the underbrush. More than once, Serena stopped for snacks, greatly hindering their progress, but Luna's aching paws prevented her from complaining.

More hours passed. Insects buzzed around them. Sweat poured from Serena's forehead. Muscles ached and blisters broke. Yet still they hiked on.

At long last they reached an opening in the trees. Serena flopped down under a tree to catch her breath, but Luna dragged herself forward to investigate.

Before them was a large, tranquil lake. No birds or wildlife could be heard among the old trees surrounding the water. At the edge of the lake stood an old log cabin.

At Luna's insistence, Serena walked up to the door and knocked. For a long moment nothing happened. A frog croaked in the lake below, breaking the silence. Serena raised her hand to knock again when a clacking noise emanated from within, and the door opened.

In the doorway stood a man.

The man was a tall, thin figure with a healthy amount of muscle covering his otherwise bare bones. He was dressed in simple homespun clothes, the kind that might have been found in the United States during their frontier days. His ageless face was clean-shaven, and his skin was flawless. But his eyes… something wasn't quite right about his eyes. They bore a strange sort of weight to them, as if they had seen too much of the cruelties of the world. They bore no malice, only an ageless, ancient tranquility. But his most striking feature was the colors of his hair. On each side were twin streaks of brilliant silver that cut through the blackest black hair Serena had ever seen.

Serena stared at him for a moment. "Hello."

Jason, for that was his name, said nothing. Instead, he looked down to Serena's right where Luna was sitting. Luna, not entirely sure what to say, asked "Is this a bad time?"

Jason's face hardened. In one smooth move, he stepped back and slammed the door shut, causing a thunderous crash that broke the silence of the lake.

Serena stared at the door blankly. "Was it something I said?"

Luna sighed to herself. She had been afraid of this, but knew exactly why Jason reacted the way he did. And she knew she couldn't blame him for it. "No, it's not you. Let me try." She walked closer to the door. "Jason Shepard. The Negaverse has returned and the Moon Kingdom is destroyed. We are all that stands between it and total destruction of Earth." She paused, letting her words sink in. "This is Sailor Moon, champion of justice. She has recently unlocked her powers, but she lacks training and discipline." Serena made a face at Luna. "You are the last surviving member of the Moon Kingdom's forces. After all this time, we need your help."

Silence descended. Nothing stirred, but Luna kept her gaze fixed on the wooden door. After a minute, the door slowly creaked open again.

Jason studied Luna grimly. Luna evenly returned his gaze. After a moment, Jason turned to Serena. His gaze swept over her as if he were studying a weapon. For a second, Serena couldn't decide whether to be flattered or annoyed. She looked at his features, thinking that Luna hadn't lied, that he was handsome in his own right. With that in mind, she decided to be flattered. She held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Serena."

Jason said nothing, nor did he shake her hand. Instead, he silently stepped aside and gestured to the doorway. Serena entered, followed shortly by Luna.

The inside of the cabin smelled of a pleasant combination of earth and lumber. A small fire was crackling in the stone fireplace, with meat roasting on a spit. On the walls were mounted a few old weapons, apparently hand-forged. In one corner was a hand crafted spinning wheel, which Jason had apparently used to make his clothes. Against one wall was a wooden rocking chair, to which Jason gestured as Serena and Luna entered.

Serena sat in the chair, her gaze hungrily coming to rest on the meat in the fireplace. Jason saw her stare, and nodded his consent when she turned back to him. Serena picked up the spit and bit into a hot hunk of meat. The meat burned the inside of her mouth, but she didn't care. Favor coursed through her taste buds as the rich spices in the meat exploded on her tongue. She swallowed and bit into it again.

Luna sat on the floor, looking at Jason. Jason sat on the edge of his handmade bed and stared back. At length, Luna said "You've done well for yourself."

For the first time, Jason spoke. His voice was faint and strained, as if he hadn't uttered a single word aloud in many years. But though the volume was low, his tone carried all the weight and authority of one who had seen countless years of combat, and who wasn't pleased at that very moment: "I had hoped I'd never see you again."


	3. Old Wounds

Serena looked up from the meat, still chewing half a mouthful. Jason was staring at Luna with the air of a man confronted with an old enemy. Luna returned his gaze, although there was less fire in her eyes.

"I wouldn't have come to you if there was any other choice," Luna told him.

"You shouldn't have remembered my name." Jason's voice was a few decibels lower than it should have been, yet it carried the indescribable power of an age long past.

"Believe me, I didn't want to. But we need your help now more than ever, and there is no one else."

Jason looked over at Serena, who waved a grease-covered hand sheepishly. "_This_ is Sailor Moon?"

"I know she doesn't have the dignity she did in all those pictures in the history books, but she is the champion of the Moon." Serena bit into a sharp bone in the meat, stabbing herself in a very sensitive spot on her gums. With a cry of pain, she started backwards, causing the meat to fly up and stick to the ceiling and the rocking chair to fall over with her still in it.

Someone else might have cracked a smile at the odd sight, or maybe even have chuckled a little. But Jason merely looked back at Luna.

"Believe me, I know," Luna said, embarrassed. "But that's why we need you. Without your help…"

Jason stood up. "Let's talk in private." He walked out the door with Luna on his heels. He pulled the door shut and turned to Luna. "Even if I felt any loyalty to you people at all, I can't ignore what happened."

Luna had been worried about this. "I realize nothing I can say can undo the past. That's why I can't do anything except beg you to forgive us."

"How can I forgive what the Moon Kingdom did to me?"

Luna searched for a good answer and found none. "I understand, and I can't answer that." She leaned forward. "But Sailor Moon is innocent. She wasn't there. As far as she knows, that period in history doesn't even exist."

"I can't imagine why you wouldn't tell her."

"Please, Jason. Sailor Moon nearly died in the last few battles. She only survived through luck, and it won't last forever. She needs you." Luna stared deep into Jason's eyes. "She's done nothing to you, and you are the only one who can help her. I'm begging you: please don't condemn her to death for what we did."

Jason considered this. After a moment, he said, "There's not much I can do for her, Luna. I can't transform anymore. My powers are gone."

Luna stared at him in horrified disbelief. "You mean-"

Jason concentrated. A slight tingle ran through his body, and a flash of energy shot across his skin before sputtering out weakly and dying. "I'm useless now. There's nothing for me to do."

"Then teach her. Show her how to become like you once were." Luna thought for a second. "What was it you called yourself? Lightstorm?" Jason's expression didn't change, but his eyes revealed an inner torrent of pain, anger, and sadness. "Let Lightstorm live on through her, Jason. Use your knowledge, help Sailor Moon. If for no other reason, then do it because an innocent will die without you."

Jason pondered, wrestling internally with his emotions. Painful memories surfaced behind his eyes, and the torment of centuries past washed through him once more. He knew Serena didn't know what he knew, that she hadn't seen his life. But still she was part of the long-dead Moon Kingdom, a civilization whose very name caused Jason agony.

But she was innocent. She hadn't committed the crimes her people had. She didn't even know of Jason's era. Maybe this time things could be different. Jason hadn't felt it in a long time, but he sensed something inherently good about Serena. Perhaps she deserved a chance. Perhaps she could finally set things right.

Jason sucked in a breath. With a last look at Luna, he turned back to the cabin and opened the door.

The rocking chair was overturned and broken. Serena was on her back covered in grease. Apparently she had tried to stand on the chair to scrape the meat off the ceiling. Sitting up, she glanced guiltily at the chair. "Uh, somebody broke that."

With a quiet sigh, Jason stepped over and offered his hand to Serena. "We have work to do."


	4. Crash Course

"Transform."

Jason and Serena stood on the shore of the lake. Luna observed passively from atop an old stump, cautiously optimistic. She wasn't entirely sure about the weapons Jason had put on before ushering Serena to an open area, but it was a bit late to complain about it.

"Okay!" Serena agreed. "MOON PRISM POWER!"

Jason didn't flinch from the momentary burst of energy that transformed Serena into Sailor Moon. Instead, he cast a discerning eye over her alternate form, quickly analyzing her combat mode. Studying his face, Luna saw the faintest traces of disappointment.

No armor. No shields. No increase in muscle tissue or height. Jason scanned her head. Sonic projectors? He looked down. Footwear hinders running speed. He scanned her uniform more closely. Light composition. Energy blocking material? No. Sailor Scout has not been active long enough to allow such an adaptation. He scanned her face. An old tiara weapon, the disintegration variant. His eyes were then drawn upward. That haircut… Combined with her face, she bore an uncanny resemblance to…

No. He would not allow himself to even think her name. After all this time the wounds still ran deep. He had spent ages trying to forget her, and he promised himself he wouldn't dwell on the actions of one long dead. Still…

Jason blinked, forcing unpleasant thoughts from his mind. "Your Deceptor is unusually powerful. That's a point in your favor."

"My what?"

"Deceptor," Luna broke in. "It's a powerful tool developed by the Moon Kingdom to conceal the identity of the user. It's why no one can tell that you're Sailor Moon."

"Oh. Cool!"

Jason scanned the area for a target. "Destroy that rock with your primary weapon." He instructed, pointing.

Serena grabbed the tiara from her forehead and threw it at the rock. The rock shuddered and disintegrated into grey powder.

"Disintegration." Jason mused, inwardly wishing that his initial assessment had been wrong.

"Cool, huh?" Serena asked, smiling.

Jason decided not to mention that he had encountered more powerful versions of the weapon, including one that could detonate on impact. Instead, he said, "It will do. Now summon it."

"Huh?" Serena's confused expression caused Jason a brief flash of irritation.

"These weapons can be summoned back to the user when inactive." He walked forward and retrieved the tiara from the pile of dust. "Now concentrate. You're going to call this weapon back your forehead without it traveling through the intervening space."

Serena stared at the tiara. "Um… okay." She screwed up her face and concentrated hard.

A few minutes passed. The tiara flickered in Jason's hand, and at last it disappeared, instantly reappearing on Serena's forehead. Serena collapsed, exhausted. "So, how'd I do?"

Jason searched her eyes. "Passably, for a beginner." He helped her to her feet. "Now, let's test your other abilities."

For the next few hours, Jason tested her in every way imaginable. He had her strike targets in rapid succession, destroying them as fast she could. He instructed her in the use of her sonic scream, taught her how to control its direction and intensity. He deployed targets on the lake, showing her how to use her powers to deal massive amounts of damage to her enemies.

When he was reasonably satisfied, he trained her how to fight hand-to-hand. They sparred for hours, training with feet, fists, and sticks. Sweat poured down Serena's skin, but Jason wasn't even winded. He pushed her harder still, even after the sun began to set.

###

Far away, in another dimension, a tall woman sat upon a dark throne. Before her was a crystal ball, showing her all manner of things, but she did not see them. Her mind was elsewhere, considering her next move. The energy reserves of the Negaverse were running low, and the only place in the universe suitable for harvesting was being watched by a most meddlesome enemy.

A male voice interrupted her thoughts. "My queen."

She looked. Before her was one of her servants, kneeling. "I hope, for your sake, you have a good reason for entering my presence unbidden, Jadeite."

Jadeite stood. "There has been a development. Our surveillance has detected unusual activity at Sector Theta-7C."

Queen Beryl considered this. "What do you mean, 'unusual activity'?"

"Someone is changing the landscape, my queen. We are unsure who it is at the moment."

Beryl glared at Jadeite. Sector Theta-7C was one of several areas of Earth she had been considering for a special project. In order to effectively harvest energy, Beryl was contemplating ordering the construction of at least one Negaverse base near enough to the source, but far enough away to avoid detection. Sector Theta-7C was the most suitable site thus far, and if had been discovered…

"I see. Investigate the disturbance at once. And take someone with you in case you meet resistance."

"It will be done." Jadeite instantly vanished.

###

Serena lay on the wooden bench, too exhausted to sit up. Next to her sat Luna, and on the other side of the fire sat Jason.

The long day had finally ended. Although Serena hadn't done quite as well as might have been expected, Jason acknowledged that she had potential, and that she had put out a solid effort. As a reward, he had built them a campfire and roasted some fish he had caught from the lake. Serena had eaten five already, and was in the process of finishing a sixth when fatigue had gotten the better of her.

Luna jumped down and walked over to Jason's bench. "I appreciate you doing this," she said quietly.

Jason absently tossed a fishbone into the fire. "I would hope so."

"How on earth did you do it? I can barely get her to do her homework, and yet you got her to train with you for hours."

"I learned to be persuasive. I had to be, back then. I'm sure you remember."

Luna said nothing, looking through the fire at Serena. If Jason could do so much in such a short amount of time, perhaps Serena really did have a chance.

A sudden wind interrupted her thoughts. Jason whipped around, weapon in hand. Serena awoke with a start, tumbling off the bench as she scrambled to her feet. All turned to face the disturbance.

Two figures appeared out of a stunningly bright light, one tall and hulking, the other human-sized and thin. They swept forward out of the disturbance, landing a few meters from the edge of the camp. With a loud laugh, a male voice barked, "I hope we're not interrupting!"


	5. A Test of Mettle

"Get lost, Nega-creeps!" Serena shouted angrily.

The human figure looked at her. "Ah, Sailor Moon. I hadn't expected to see you here. Now we can finish our little game."

"You call harvesting innocent people a game!? You Nega-Trash aren't worth the dirt you walk on!"

Jadeite smiled. "Brave words. Kill them."

The monster's roar tore through the night. Its hulking mass rocketed forward. Serena dived to the side. Jason rolled and came up in a crouch, drawing a shuriken.

A piercing scream erupted from Serena. Sound waves slammed into the monster, staggering it. The monster whirled to face her. Jason charged it from behind. Vaulting up and over its head, he threw the shuriken into its eye.

Razor-sharp claws slashed through the air, but Jason was too quick. He landed, spun in place, and slammed the side of the monster's head with his staff. The blow caused something to crack inside the monster, and as the impact momentarily stunned it, Serena's tiara crashed into its face.

Jadeite flew in low, poised for attack. Jason twisted around, crouching low. Two more shurikens shot through the air. One sliced open Jadeite's neck, and other buried itself in his left eye. Jadeite cried out in agony. Jason slammed his staff into his face, sending him flying.

The monster forced itself to its feet. It raised its right arm. Underneath formed a metallic tube.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Serena cried, dodging the volley. Behind her, a dense orange explosion erupted, setting her outfit on fire. "OOH! OW! OHH! HOT! HOT!" She hastily swatted the fire, barely dodging another grenade.

"Get down!" Faster than the eye could see, Jason unleashed a volley of shurikens. The deadly metal missiles crashed into the oncoming grenades, causing them to explode. Serena scrambled to her feet, dashing away and drawing in a breath for another sonic attack.

Jason sensed movement to his side. In a flash he vaulted away, driving his fist into Jadeite's throat as the demon flew past, barely missing him. Jadeite howled in pain, crashing into the dirt. Jason rolled to his feet, weapons ready. Jadeite leapt to his feet, poised for a fight. Jason raised his hands, the metal staff in one hand, and a deadly shuriken in the other.

The monster staggered back from Serena's sonic scream. Angrily it fired its weapon at the ground. The sudden shockwave stunned Serena, and her attack momentarily stopped as she fell to her feet.

Movement caught the monster's eye. Jason and Jadeite were locked in a deadly combat. Jadeite looked like he was trying to fly away, but Jason was relentless, pummeling him with blow after blow from his staff. The monster raised its weapon, aiming for the two, clearly intending to kill Jason. Orange light shone from the end of the barrel, the launcher charging to its maximum firepower.

"NOOOOOOO!" Serena threw her tiara with all her strength.

The impact knocked the grenade launcher off-target. The weapon fired. The orange grenade sailed through the air. It collided with Jason's cabin, detonating in a brilliant orange-white fireball.

"Uh… oops," Serena said, guiltily surveying the damage. The monster recovered from the blow, whirling to face her. Serena summoned the tiara back to her forehead and renewed her attack.

Jason and Jadeite stared at each other in the light of the orange flames. Jadeite was bleeding from multiple wounds, and more than one of his superdense Negaverse-powered bones was broken, but Jason had barely a scratch on him. He appeared to have halted his onslaught to let Jadeite get to his feet, so that the next attack might be sweeter. As Jadeite stared at him in the fiery light, his remaining eye suddenly widened. "The Mistake!"

"Jadeite." Jason surged forward, striking Jadeite again and again with increasing fury.

A cry from Serena caught his ear. He turned. Serena was holding her own, but the monster was slowly gaining ground. Thinking quickly, Jason spun his staff and in one smooth move he knocked Jadeite's feet out from under him before driving the end of the staff into his face. Then he dashed to the side, running as fast as he could toward Serena.

Serena was on her back, lungs exhausted from all the screaming. The monster raised its claws for the final blow. Serena felt tears of fear welling in her eyes, but then she spotted Jason charging toward the monster's back. Shoving her fear aside, Serena grabbed her tiara and hurled it into the monster's face. The monster staggered back slightly, its head raised.

Jason reached onto his back and pulled out his last weapon: a heavy boomerang. Focusing his will, he channeled all of his skill into his wrist and threw it forward as fast as he could.

The weapon struck the monster in the back of its knee just as Serena's tiara knocked its head back. The monster dropped, too stunned to realize what was going on. Before it could recover, Jason dashed forward and, with every ounce of strength he had, plunged the staff into the base of the monster's skull.

The monster fell forward, thrashing and gurgling weakly in its death throes. Then it lay still, never to rise again.

Slightly winded, Jason extended his hand to Serena, helping her to her feet. Then they turned to Jadeite.

The Negaverse soldier lay in the dirt, bloody, bruised, and broken. Jason and Serena advanced on him, weapons ready. Jadeite spat out a wad of bloody mucus and stared up at them with his one barely-functioning eye. "You're a dead man," he growled at Jason. "And you!" he turned to Serena. "Your friends can't protect you forever!" With his last ounce of energy, Jadeite vanished, back to the dark realms from whence he came.

In Queen Beryl's throne room, the dark monarch sat gazing intently into her crystal ball. A thousand plans and strategies coursed through her consciousness, each one holding the potential to unmake the universe. She had ordered her subjects and servants to leave her in peace, hoping to devise a strategy to harvest energy from the one place in the universe that she could.

A crackling sound broke the silence, interrupting her thoughts. She shoved the crystal ball aside in time to see a burst of energy deposit a battered and beaten Jadeite on her floor.

"I trust have a good excuse for this," she said in an icy tone. "Surely even you could destroy a few human campers."

"Majesty…" Jadeite forced himself to his feet, bowing hastily. "Serenity's Folly yet lives."

Beryl's eye widened slightly. "I had hoped that fool had died ages ago," she spat furiously. Even now, she still bore the scars of their last encounter.

"My queen, he is powerless now. He could not transform even in the fires of combat."

Beryl contemplated this. "And yet you crawl back to me like a beaten dog!? Your incompetence knows no bounds!"

Jadeite bowed again and stayed bowed for several seconds, knowing what he was about to say would be even more risky. "Supreme One, even without his powers, the Mistake is a formidable opponent. I was unprepared for such resistance, and I did not expect Sailor Moon to be present as well."

So Sailor Moon and Serenity's Folly have joined forces, Beryl thought grimly. As if things weren't bad enough.

"Shall I gather more forces and attack them again, Majesty?"

"And humiliate yourself even further? You've been enough of a disgrace for today, Jadeite. Heal your wounds, and return to me when you can do something remotely useful." Jadeite hastily bowed again and left before his liege could change her mind.

Jason picked up a bloody shuriken from the dirt, wiping away the clear jelly that had once been inside Jadeite's eye. Standing, he placed the weapon back in its proper place in his outfit. Taking one last look around, he walked back to the patch of dirt where Luna was examining Serena's latest battle wounds.

"If you'd stop moving around so much, I could get a better look at it!" Luna scolded.

"Ow… it hurts…" Serena moaned. Even as Jason watched, she powered down from combat mode and became her normal self once more.

"Oh, stop complaining!" Luna peered at Serena's injuries. "It looks like some bad bruising, and a few small cuts here and there, but nothing's broken." Her tone softened. "You were very brave tonight, Serena. I'm very proud of you." Serena managed a weak but relieved smile.

Jason silently surveyed the damage. Serena noticed and glanced toward the burning remains of the cabin. "Uh… sorry about your house." Jason didn't respond. "Hey, why did he call you 'The Mistake'?" she asked quickly, changing the subject.

"Just some trash-talk," Luna cut in quickly. "You know how these Negaverse types are."

Jason set down his weapons. He wandered off into the woods, returning after a few minutes. "Rub these on your cuts," he instructed, holding out a small handful of crushed leaves.

"What are they?" Serena asked, taking the plants.

"Herbs. They prevent infection and reduce the pain." Serena followed his advice, feeling instant, cool relief seeping into her cuts.

Luna glanced around the remains of Jason's land. "My apologies," she said. "I never meant for this to happen." She looked at Jason. "But now you can see that the Negaverse has truly returned, and its strength grows every day." She stared into Jason's eyes. "We need you, Jason. Come back with us. Help us against the Negaverse.

Jason considered Luna for a long minute. He seemed to be weighing something. Then he walked over to a tree and scooped away some loose dirt from a cleverly-concealed hole. From the hole he drew a handmade leather backpack. With a saddened last glance around his ruined home, he hefted the bag onto his back, and walked back to Serena and Luna, gathering his weapons. "Let's go. We have a long hike ahead of us."

**Everyone will return in Legends of Lightstorm #2.**


End file.
